Fort McMurray is in a state of emergency and the city is under a mandatory evacuation order in the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta’s history.
Perhaps surprisingly, no major injuries have been reported. And Fort McMurray’s critical infrastructure — including the water treatment plant, waste water treatment plant, Highway 63 and the Grant MacEwan Bridge — remained intact Tuesday night.
Fort McMurray’s only hospital, the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, was evacuated Tuesday as flames approached from the Waterways neighbourhood.
WHERE THE FIRE IS
*A fire M3 hotspot is a satellite image pixel with high infrared intensity, indicating a heat source. Hotspots from known industrial sources are removed; the remaining hotspots represent vegetation fires, which can be in forest, grass, cropland, or logging debris.
MURAT YÜKSELIR/THE GLOBE AND MAIL» Sources: Regional municipality of Wood Buffalo; Natural Resources Canada
HOW TO HEAD FOR SAFETY
Follow the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo ( @RMWoodBuffalo) for regular wildfire updates and news about evacuation routes. There’s also @511Alberta for updates on road closings and restricted travel. You might also want to check out the Fort McMurray evacuees’ open-source help page on Facebook.
Here’s a live feed of various emergency services, government agencies and @YMMHelp, a crowdsourced resource for evacuees and those offering them shelter:
WHO TO CONTACT
If you’re trying to find a loved one or need evacuation information, you can call the regional municipality at 780-762-3636 or the Red Cross at 1-888-350-6070.
Facebook also activated its safety-check feature for the Fort McMurray fire, an option for those who want to reassure their family and friends that they’re okay.
HOW TO OFFER HELP
Money: Click here to donate to the Red Cross. You can also donate by texting “REDCROSS” to 30333.
Supplies: Here’s a crowdsourced Facebook page to connect Fort McMurray residents needing items with volunteers providing them.
Volunteers: Those interested in volunteering through the regional municipality can apply here.
